Electrical switch



Feb. 13, 1945.

E. M. IRWIN ET AL ELECTRICAL SWITCH Original Filed Oct. 4, 1938 5 5 4 21 i J3\'- 5 16 /'./66L 14 33 16f 16d EMMETTM. few/Ax,

GEOQGE .E: LEW/.5, BcHAQDE DUI/AL, Beucs If, 045,

RAM/1.4 CHEA/OWE'TH,

INVENTORS.

Fatchtcd Feb. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL SWITCH Original application October 4, 1938, Serial No.

Divided and this application September 24, 1943, Serial No. 503,680

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to electric switches and has particular reference to a mechanically operated. electrical switch or relay which may be utilized to close or open electrical circuits with which it is associated.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 233,208, filed October 4, i938, and entitled Well survey system, which became Patent No. 2,336,101 on December 7, 1943.

In many electrical installations it is desirable to open or close electric circuits from a remote control station, the most common expedient employed for this purpose being a mechanically operated switch or relay by which electrical current supplied to the coil or magnetic winding of the relay will actuate an armature to move electrical contacts mounted upon or movable with the armature to engage or disengage stationary contacts to thus complete or disconnect the electrical circuits coupled to the relay contacts.

In relay structures heretofore employed, the movable contacts were usually pivoted so as to be moved toward and away from the associated stationary contacts, requiring pivot structures which frequently got out of order and prevented the efiective and sure operation of the relay, while in certain types of electrical circuits the relays were subjected to vibration, blows and other abuse which rapidly destroyed or shortened the life of such relay structures.

It is therefore an object of our invention to provide a relay structure which is simple in its construction and which will withstand vibration, shocks and similar abuse when employed in locations necessarily subjecting the same to such abuse.

Another object of our invention is to provide a relay structure, in which the contact mechanism is readily adaptable to normally closed circuit applications, normally open circuit applications or both, whereby a single relay assembly, when actuated, may be adapted to open some circuits and close others and when de-energized to re-close the circuits which have been Opel'lGd and to re-open the circuits which have been closed.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from a study of the following specifications, read in connection with the accom panying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a relay construction in accordance with our invention; and

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a contact and carrier constituting a part of the relay shown in Fig. i.

Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated in Fig. l a relay which is especially adapted to a relay construction of such a character as will permit its use under the tremendous vibrations, strains and abuse to which the instrument may be subjected during the drilling operation. Such relay structure is illustrated herein in Figs. 1 and 2 as comprising a body member 8 which includes a disc-like portion 2 from the center of which extends a cylindrical stem 3 constituting the magnetic core of the relay. A coil 4 is mounted upon or wound upon the stem 3 and suitably insulated therefrom as by means of a tubular section 5 of insulating material frictionally secured to the stem 3 and having a disc 6 of insulating material interposed between the upper end of the coil i and the inner surface of the disc portion of the housing I. A second disc I of insulating material may be applied at the lower end of the insulating tube 5. The stem 3 preferably extends slightly beyond the lower end of insulating tube 5 and has surrounding its extreme lower end a spacer member or disc 8 preferably made of copper as will be more fully described hereinafter for the purpose of imparting time delay response of the relay to energization of the coil 4.

A protective shell 9 constructed of magnetic material surrounds the coil 4, the upper end of the shell 9 abutting the body member I and being preferably received in a recessed portion l0 thereof. Shell 9 may be constructed of a length considerably in excess of the length of the core or stem 3 so that the lower end of the shell 9 may be employed as a housing andfor mounting a plurality of contact members to be actuated by the coil.

The movable contact piece or armature of the relay is illustrated as comprising a metal ball t i suspended in an elongated cylindrical bore 52 to move toward and away from the lower end of the stem 3 as the coil is energized and de-energized, respectively. The bore [2 is defined by aligned central or axial openings in discs l3, l4 and of insulating material which are also employed as the means for insulating and mounting the contact pieces to be engaged by the movable ball or armature member of the relay.

The relay is provided with a plurality of normally open contacts Ilia, lSb and 160, each of these contacts being constructed as a sectcrshaped portion of thin suitable metal, the contacts 16a and IE2) being identical in construction and each of them provided with a tail piece or connection terminal I! by which electrical conductors may be connected to the respective contact members. The contact member I80 is likewise provided with a terminal lug or extension I! by which electrical connection may be made thereto.

The intermediate insulation disc i4 is provided upon its upper face with a series of sector-shaped depressions l9 extending therein to a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the material from which the contact members Ilia, I61) and I60 are formed, so that the contact members when seated in the depression will have their upper surfaces flush with the upper face of the disc l4.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the contact members Ilia, l6?) and ific assembled upon the disc 14 and inserted into the shell 9 will be rigidly held in place by abutment with the thin upper insulation disc [4. v

The apices of the contact members l6a, I62) and H50 project inwardly to some extent within the cylindrical bore l2 within which the contact ball moves so that whenever the coil 4 is energized the ball II will be drawn upwardly toward the stem 3 and will engage the extending apices oi. the contact members ifia, 16b and IE0, thereby com-- pleting the electric circuit between all three of these contact members. By reason of the use of three of such contact members it will be apparent that the ball will make three-point contact with these contact members and will positively engage and bridge between contact members c and lBa and contact members I6a-l6b and corn tact members I60 and IE1), thus insuring complete electrical connection between all of the contacts.

The under face of the disc I4 is similarly pro vided with sector-shaped depressions which are adapted to receive and hold therein a duplicate set of contact members 16d, Hie and IS the apices of which project inwardly of the bore I2 to such extent that whenever the relay coil 4 tie-energized the ball ii will drop upon and interengage all three of the contact members, thus providing normally closed contact members to be utilized in the circuit hereinafter described.

Again, as was described with reference to the contact members lBa, 16b and I60, the lower or duplicate set of contact members are held in place within the recesses by a lower insulation disc i5 set within and frictionally or otherwise secured within the open end of the shell 9. As is shown in Fig. 1, projecting terminal ends I! and 18 of the contact members are accessible through suitable slots 2| and 22 in the shell 9 so that ready connection of conductors may be made therewith.

It will therefore be observed that we have provided a relay structure which may be readily constructed and assembled and which will provide a plurality of normally open contacts adapted to be closed when the coil 4 is energized, and also with a plurality of normally closed contacts adapted to be opened when the coil 4 is energized.

By reason of the employment of the ball contact I l with its limited amount of movement, the relay may be subjected to vibration, shocks and handling without substantial injur and having central apertures aligned with said core, two sets of conduit members, one between each adjacent pair of said washers, each of said sets comprising three sector-shaped metallic plates spaced circumferentially of each other and including like portions extending into said can tral apertures, and a magnetic ball contact meu1- her in said aperture between said sets of contact members.

2. In a relay, the combination of: a tubulru' magnetic housing; an electromagnetic coil in said housing; a magnetic core extending axially through said coil; and a contact assembly in said housing adjacent said core comprising three washers of insulating material aligned axially and having central apertures aligned with said core, two sets of contact members, one between each adjacent pair of said washers, each of said sets comprising three sector-shaped metallic plates spaced circumferentially of each other and ineluding like portions extending into said central apertures, the upper and lower faces of the central one of said washers having formed therein re cesses shaped to conform to the contour of said plates and having a depth substantially equal to the thickness of said plates, and a magnetic ball contact member in said aperture between said sets of contact members.

3. A movable contact assembly for an electromagnetic relay having a magnetic core and comprising three washers of insulating material aligned axially and having central apertures aligned with said core, two sets of contact members, one between each adjacent pair of said washers, each of said sets comprising three sector-shaped metallic plates spaced circumferentially of each other and including like portions extending into said central apertures, a magnetic ball contact member in said aperture between said sets of contact members, the central one of said washers having an axial thickness greater than the diameter of said ball contact member, said like portions of said metallic plates being mutually spaced apart a distance less than the theme ter of said ball contact member.

EMMETT M. IRWIN. GEORGE E. LEWIS. RICHARD H. DUVAL. BRUCE H. RULE.

.MI. CHEliOWETi-i. 

